It’s a release as big as his mouth — the latest from trouble-making troubadour Jack White is titled Lazaretto. KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes the album as, “a typically masterful set of rootsy rock ranging from high-stepping blues-rock and brooding, spaghetti western-influenced rock to plaintive country and folk-tinged ballads.”
The new release from Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit is a “more musically sophisticated and lyrically personal take on their poignant folk-pop, featuring a variety of majestic, beautifully crafted songs with lush arrangements combining strings, acoustic guitars, piano and a variety of other instrumentation with the sisters’ soaring harmonies and intimate lyrics of heartache, doubt and homesickness.”
The sophomore release from Seattle/Northern California band Craft Spells “features more intricate and sophisticated songs than their promising 2011 debut, along with a more polished and fleshed-out sound, incorporating piano, strings, wind instruments, mellotron and more.” San Francisco band The Fresh & Onlys share “another solid set of jangly psych-pop inflected with ‘80s dream-pop, surf, spaghetti western and other styles, featuring a variety of well-crafted songs ranging from propulsive rockers to atmospheric ballads.” And everyone’s been asking about the latest from London artist Tom Vek, which Yates describes as “another solid set of New Waveish electro-rock with jagged guitars, fuzzy synths, propulsive rhythms, monotone vocals and often-sardonic lyrics.”
Swedish project Lust For Youth has evolved from the solo project of producer Hannes Norrvide to a trio, “recasting their sound from droning lo-fi to a more fully produced and melodic kind of ‘80s-steeped electro-pop with warm synths, atmospheric guitars, occasional tropical textures and sturdy song hooks.” After 35 years, Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde releases her solo debut, collaborating with Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn & John. And after almost 30 years, Cherry Red Records is reissuing the classic C86 compilation, originally released as a cassette in 1986 by NME Magazine. The infamous collection included then-unknowns like Primal Scream, The Pastels, Shop Assistants and The Wedding Present. The deluxe reissue has been expanded to a 3-CD set, featuring never-before-released tracks exclusive to this release.
(Various Artists)
from C86 compilation on Cherry Red
Anathema – “The Lost Song Part 3″
from Distant Satellites on Kscope
The Atlas Moth – “Collider”
from The Old Believer on Profound Lore Records
Tomas Barfod – “True To You (feat. Gruff Rhys)”
from Love Me on Secretly Canadian
Mark Barrott – “Baby Come Home”
from Sketches From an Island on International Feel Recordings
Andrew Bird – “Tin Foiled”
from Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of… on Wegawam
Body Count – “Talk Shit, Get Shot”
from Manslaughter on Sumerian Records
Canibus – “Pay Me In Gold”
from Fait Accompli on RBC Records
Chief Keef – “Pull Up”
from Bang 3 on Glo Gang
Clipping – “Work Work (Feat. Cocc Pistol Cree)”
from CLPPNG on Sub Pop
Craft Spells – “Komorebi”
from Nausea on Captured Tracks
Don Caballero – “Five Pairs of Crazy Pants”
from Five Pairs of Crazy Pants Wear ‘Em: Early Caballero on Chunklet
Dub Club / The Lions – “Revelations (Alphabet City Dub)”
from This Generation In Dub on Stones Throw
Dub Thompson – “Dograces”
from 9 Songs on Dead Oceans Records
Falconer – “Locust Swarm”
from Black Moon Rising on Metal Blade
Fatboy Slim – “Bem Brasil”
from Bem Brasil on Astralwerks
First Aid Kit – “My Silver Lining”
from Stay Gold on Columbia / Sony Music
The Fresh & Onlys – “Who Let the Devil”
from House of Spirits on Mexican Summer
Mary Gauthier – “Another Train”
from Trouble & Love on In The Black Records
Half-Handed Cloud – “Flying Scroll Flight Control”
from Flying Scroll Flight Control on XXX
Dave Harrington – “Flash / All-One”
from Before This There Was One Heart But A Thousand Thoughts EP on Other People
Chrissie Hynde – “Dark Sunglasses”
from Stockholm on Caroline International
Kindred the Family Soul – “Everybody’s Hustling”
from A Couple Friends on Shanachie Records
Lust for Youth – “Epoetin Alfa”
from International on Sacred Bones
Mayday! / Murs – “Here”
from ¡Mursday! on Strange Music
The Phantom Band – “The Wind That Cried The World”
from Strange Friend on Chemikal Underground
Popcaan – “Love Yuh Bad”
from Where We Come From on Mixpak
Roll The Dice – “Assembly”
from Until Silence on The Leaf Label
Stagnant Pools – “You Whir”
from Geist on Polyvinyl
Alexander Turnquist – “Wildflower”
from Flying Fantasy on Cargo Records
Tom Vek – “Broke”
from Luck on Moshi Moshi Records
Jack White – “Lazaretto”
from Lazaretto on Columbia / Third Man Records
WIFE – “Heart Is A Far Light”
from What’s Between on Tri Angle
